Looking for a Job is a Job in Itself
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Aletta Rochat
Aletta Rochat
Career Acceleration Coach » Developing your Mindset so that you can Leverage your Skillset » Getting you Promoted & Hired
Published Jun 13, 2020
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Looking for a Job is a Job in Itself. Interviews aren't easy to secure. For any given job, there will be multiple applicants. Think of 100s of applications! Most of those applicants are just as experienced and talented as you are. A job search demands extraordinary preparation. If your job search is serious, my suggestion is that you put committed effort into your preparation for your interview. The time to prepare is now. Once you are interview-ready, you can stay interview-ready.
Preparation is key to your interview success. Would you like to be the 'preferred' candidate'? If your answer is yes, get ready to roll up your sleeves and tap into your tenacity and commitment. With the right commitment and attention to detail, you significantly increase your chances of becoming the 'preferred' candidate. In this fiercely competitive job market, it is essential that you commit to an extraordinary level of preparation. Without that, you are leaving your future to chance. 'Winging it' is not an option.
Based on my experience as well as those of my clients, this is what extraordinary interview preparation looks like:
Anticipate interview questions: Write down a list of questions you expect to be asked. If you aren't sure, you can easily do an internet search. Don't stop there. You also need to formulate your concise, structured answers. Don't stop there. Extraordinary interview preparation includes practising verbalising your answers. Don't stop there. If you are serious about being the 'preferred candidate', practice answering and getting feedback. Ideally you can find someone with knowledge of your industry to assist with this.
Link your experience to key topics: Extraordinary interview preparation includes proactively linking your experience to key topics. This will be invaluable when you are asked a question similar to: 'Tell me about a time when you had to deal with conflict in a team'. It is almost impossible to think of an appropriate story in real-time during an interview. If you've done extraordinary interview preparation, you will have a story bank – a collection of experiences that link to key topics like ethics, management, leadership, teamwork etc. Once again, having these listed is not enough. Don't stop there. Practice verbalising those so that you can tell those stories in a structured, concise manner. Don't stop there. Practice verbalising your answers and get feedback from someone who has the expertise to help you improve.
Be comfortable selling yourself: You need to be your own champion. This is not the time to be modest or to downplay your strengths. It isn't enough to 'strut your stuff'. You need to position your strengths in relation to the team you hope to join. It's not about you and the game you are playing – it's about your ability to add add value to someone else's game. Phrase your skills and super-powers as solutions and contributions to the team.
You don't have to do this alone! Your future success depends on your ability to invest in your own development. Speaking from personal experience, each time I've done so, my results have grown exponentially.
The day I invested in an interview coach,
my opportunities multiplied.
My interview skills improved dramatically. I have those skills for life. I use these skills in meetings, when meeting clients for the first time as well as when I lead teams. My experience inspired me to become an interview coach myself. My passion is to help others have the same game-changing experience as I had. Investing in an interview coach will be one of the wisest investments you make. That investment will keep producing a ROI for years to come.
Looking for a job is a job in itself. With the right interview preparation, you multiply your chances of becoming the 'preferred' candidate. You can find more interview preparation resources here.
Many trainees ask me questions about when they should begin looking toward their future and start thinking about their career options.
You will likely never completely stop thinking about your career options and preferences, but there are times when it absolutely becomes the dominant pursuit in your life. Transitioning from graduate school is certainly one of those times.
Whether you are thinking of heading into another degree program, pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship, or moving onto a position in industry or government, here are some tips to refer to throughout your journey.
1. You can’t start too early: You don’t need to focus on this full-time during your first term in graduate school, but acting on the next step 12 to 18 months before you need to take it is neither too early nor unusual. Graduate program and postdoctoral fellowship applications all require an early start, and you will need to work and prepare for those timelines. If the academic stream isn’t for you, you will need to allow yourself sufficient time to acquire job searching skills, such as interview preparation and resume building.
2. Take advantage of resources: The most important advice I can give you is to get to know the people in Western University’s Student Success Centre. The counsellors there have a great amount of experience helping students acquire skills and can also help them learn what areas of employment students are geared for. They are there to help — see them often.
3. Become self-reflective and know yourself well: You have to be honest with yourself. What makes you happy? What skills are you good at? What types of work gives you the most satisfaction? What are you priorities? Asking yourself these questions at the beginning of your search will help narrow down your options and put you on the right track.
4. Network, network, network: The experts tell me that 80 per cent of jobs are not really advertised anymore. Prepare a LinkedIn profile, and make sure you do not have anything online that you would not want a potential employer to find. Be professional, and never miss out on an opportunity to interact positively with people that could help you reach your employment goals.
5. Become resilient: Resilient people almost always become successful and accomplished because they are adaptable, determined and keep going no matter what. Resilience is also important because few people get to where they want to be right away. Successful people create a plan and realize it takes time for that plan to unfold, and it will likely also require several steps before they reach their end goal.
6. Keep things in perspective: Don’t let the process become overwhelming. I know it can be difficult not to worry about important things, but I know of no example where worrying has been helpful. Prepare a solid plan of action, follow it, keep at it and success will follow.
7. Do not live in the future: Adopt a life philosophy that allows you to live in the moment and reap all you can from the present. Graduate school is one of the most educationally stimulating periods of your life — immerse yourself in that experience. It will arm you with what you need to be able to find the future you desire.
The faculty and staff in each program at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry are interested in helping their students move forward after graduate school. Keep your eyes open for workshops where former students are invited back to present their stories regarding career development, and attend the student-organized, career-based workshops at London Health Research Day in the spring.
You can also come and visit me. I enjoy catching up on what you are doing, and my door is always open if you have any questions.